August '07: Welcome Home Butkus

When Butkus came into our lives, we already knew that Ed had bladder cancer. In June of 2008, we threw him a 13th birthday party. I think that inside, I knew it was his last birthday. It was a great party, although Ed didn't know that--he slept through most of it on his new posturpedic bed!

In September of that year, my sister asked me to go to the park near her house with her. There was a dog staying with a foster volunteer who needed a home, and I should go look at him. Butkus looked like a teenager--lanky, skinny, awkward. He was so lowly that his foster mom didn't even need to have him on a leash. Poor guy cut his foot on glass when I walked him. He was so skinny that he fit through the wrought iron fence.

A few days later, I brought Ed and Casey (on crutches from his 1st of 2 knee surgeries that summer) to meet him. Butkus sat right on my lap and stole my heart.

My sister said there was really something special about this guy--she was right, and here's how we knew:

Ed HATED other dogs. HATED THEM! I had to cross the street when we went on walks, because Ed would try to kill them from 2 blocks away. H-A-T-E. But he was cool with Butkus. No snarling, snapping, baring his teeth, biting, barking, mounting--okay, you get the point. So Butkus came home with us just a few days later!